Rotary engine.



No. 734,430. PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

f o. E. n W. E. REYNOLDS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1903. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHET'I.

PATENT-ED JULY 21, 1903.V 0. E. 0 W. E. REYNOLDS ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATIoN FILED MAY 20,1903.

3A SHBBTS-SHEET2- 'N0 MODEL.

PATENTED JULY 21,'1903. G. E. 6r, W. E. REYNOLDS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

VARPLHJATION FILED nu zo. 190s.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 HODEL.

mi Nomos Puma no. WQT'MITHO., wAsM\NowN,u. r..

l No. 734,430.

UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. REYNOLDS, OF WOODSON, AND WILLIAM E..REYNOLDS,FOF

MODESTO, ILLINOIS.

ROTARY ENGIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N O. 734,430, dated July 21, 1903.

Application filed May 20, 1903. Serial No. 158,016. (No model.)

.T all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES E. REY- NOLDs, residing at Woodson, in the county of lgate and valve operating mechanism timed view of our improved rotary engine.

to coact with each other and each being yieldingly operated by a hand-lever which is locked in a predetermined position.

In carrying out ourinvention we propose arranging the gate andvalve in a manner which will permit the steam to expand between the piston-blade and the gate irrespective of the travel of the' engine. We have therefore devised a reversible expansion ro-.

tary engine of simple construction and one which, owing tothe small number of parts, is easily and conveniently operated.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to in this specification and be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective Fig. 2 is a similar view looking from the other side. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line X X. Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsection on the line Y Y. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the valve shaft and gate. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of 'the disk which operates the valve. Figs. 'Z andv 7a are diagrammatic views illustrating the position of the partswhen the steam is cut off. Figs. 8 and 8 are similar views, but showing the position of the parts when the piston is traveling toward the right. Figs. 9 and 9a are similar views, but showing the position of the partswhen the'piston is traveling toward the left. The same numerals refer to like parts in all the figures.

1 represents a cylinder provided with heads 2 and 2a, mounted on a base 3. A shaft 4 passes through the cylinder and bears a piston 5, having a blade 6, the latter bearing against the inner surfaceof the cylinder 1. Theshaft 4is supported in bearings '7 and carries a fly-wheelS and two disks 9 and 10.

1l represents a steamchest, 12 a steam-supply pipe communicating'therewith, and 13 and 14 are inlet-ports which communicate with the steam-chest-and the cylinder 1. A shaft 15 is mounted in the head 2a and a bearing on the stealn-chest.- A disk valve 18 is fixed to the shaft 15 and fits tightly against the face of the head 22, and it is provided with port 19, designed .to form communication with the steam-chest and cylinder through the medium of either of the ports 13 and 14. On

the outer end of the shaft 15 is secured a hub 21, having two levers 21a and 2lb, one of which is always in the path of a cam 22 on theperiphery of the disk 9. As shown in the diagram illustrated in Fig. 6, it will be seen that by adjusting the camof the disk 9 the lever f 21a and 2lb may be timed to introduce steam into the cylinder at any period or at any part of the revolution of 'the piston. Y 23 represents an arm rigidly mounted o 'the shaft 15, and 24 is an operating-lever,

which is loosely mounted on the said shaft 15. A spring 25 connects the arm 23 andlever 24. A segmental rack 26, having suitable notches 27, is fastened to the engine, and the lever 24 has a lug which engages the notches 27, and

thus locks the parts to set the valve to introduce steam to run the engine backward or` forward, as will be hereinafter described.

30 is a second shaft mounted in the head 2 and socket in the valve 18, and it is hollow at its outer end, as shown at 31, and adjaceng the hollow portion it has formed onit a gate 32. The gate is segmental, its inner face conforming to the curveof the cylinder 1, while its outer periphery is struck from the center of the shaft 30. The gate works in a 'seat 34 inthe cylinder and is adapted to forman abutment, against which the steanracts when introduced to thecylinder. The inner face of the gate conforming to that ofthe cylinder, obviously when the gate is opened its seatjis closed and the contour of the cylinder is not interrupted.

f A bifurcated projection forming two lugs 36 and 37 is rigidly fixed t0 the end of the shaft 80, one or the other of the lugs being in the path of and adapted to be struck by a lng 39 on the disk 10, the one being struck depending, of course, on the direction of the travel of the piston, as will be hereinafter explained. An arm 39 is fixed to the shaft 30, and also mounted loosely on said shaft is an operating-lever l10, the arm 39 and lever 40 being connected by a spring 4l, a segmental rack being employed to lock the lever in a ixed position. These parts are duplicates of those described in connection with the valve 1S.

The parts thus described, the operation is as follows, attention being particularly directed to the diagrams illustrated in Figs. '7, '7n to 9, 9a: Assume the shaft to be in the position illustrated in Fig. 7, showing that no steam can be admitted into the cylinder 1, the location ofthe valve and the ports being illustrated in, Fig. 7. lf the engine is to be run toward the left looking at Fig. 1, the operating-levers 24 and 40 will be thrown in the same direction, which, through the medium of their springs and arms, rocks the shafts 15 and 30, hence the valve 1S and gate 32, as shown in Figs. 8 and 8a. Steam now passes from the chest 11 through the ports 19 and 13 and is expanded between the gate and the piston-blade, which revolves the piston in the direction of the arrow A. The projection on Ithe disk 10 will therefore strike one of the legs 3G 37 once in each revolution or just prior to the time the blade 6 reaches the gate 32, thus raising the latter and permitting said blade to pass. Immediately the blade passes the gate the spring 41 acts to again close it, at which time one of the levers 21 21b is struck by the cam on the disk 9, and steam is admitted to the cylinder 1 until the termination of the cam is reached. The exhauststeam is carried off through the hollow portion 31 of the shaft 30. To reverse the engine, Figs. 9, 9, the levers 24 and 40 are thrown toward the right, whereupon the lever 21 and leg 31 are brought into alinement with their respective lug and cam, and the position of the valve 18 is relatively positioned with the port 13, whereupon the steam enters said port through the port 19, and hence the direction of the engine is reversed.

The resilient connection between the operating-levers of the gate and the valve is such that while the springs are strong enough to cause the arms to move with the levers to change the position of the parts nevertheless there will be resiliency sufficient to permit the joints to break when the cams strike the Various trips. This feature of our invention we regard as of vital importance.

What we claim as new is- 1. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder, of a piston, a gate mounted in the cylinder and adapted to form either a steamabutment or a part of the cylinder, a gateshaft, an arm rigid with the shaft, an operating-lever loosely mounted on the shaft, a resilient connection between the arm and the lever, means connected to the piston for operating the gate, a steam-chest, and means coacting with the gate for introducing steam to the cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder, of a piston, a gate mounted in the cylinder and adapted to form either a steamabutment or a part of the cylinder, a gateshaft, an arm rigid with the shaft, an operating-lever loosely mounted on the shaft, a resilient connection between the arm and the lever, means connected to the piston for operating the gate, a steam-chest, a valve therein having a port, two ports formed in the cylinder, a valve-shaft, an arm rigid with the shaft, an operating-lever loosely mounted on the shaft, means resiliently connecting the lever and the arm, and means controlled by the piston for actuating the valve, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a cylinder, a piston bearing a blade, a valve-chest, an oscillating valve having an opening, a valve-shaft bearinglevers at or near one end, a cam adapted to strikeone of said levers, two ports in the cylinder behind the valve, mechanism for bringing the opening in the valve into register with either of said ports, a gate, a gate-shaft mounted in line with the valveshaft, mechanism for actuating the gate, and mechanisms for changing the operating relation of the gate with that of the valve to determine the direction of the travel of the piston, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a cylinder, a piston bearin g a blade, a valve-chest, an oscillating valve having an opening, a valve-shaft bearing levers at or near one end, a cam adapted to strike one of said levers, two ports in the cylinder behind the valve, mechanism for bringing the opening in the valve into register with either of said ports, a gate, a hollow gate-shaft which communicates with the cylinder and the atmosphere, mechanism for actuating the gate, an operating-lever, and a resilient connection between the lever and the hollow shaft, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a cylinder, a piston bearing a bladeLa gate mounted in the cylinder and adapted to form either a steamabutment or a part of the cylinder, a gateshaft projecting from the ends of the gate below the center thereof, a portion of the shaft being hollow and communicating with the cylinder and the atmosphere to form an exhaust-pipe, mechanism controlled by the piston for actuating the gate in either of two predetermined directions, a valve having an opening therein, two ports formed in the cylinder either of which is adapted to be brought into register with the opening in the valve, and mechanism controlled by the piston for actuating the valve in either one or two directions, substantially as described.

6. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder, a piston bearing a gate having a shaft, a loosely-mounted handle, a resilient connection between the handle and a projection on the shaft, mechanism for actuating the gate against the tension of the resilient connection, a valve having a stem, a looselymounted handle, a resilient connection between said handle and a projection on the stem, and mechanism for actuating the valve against the tension of the resilient connection, substantially as described.

7. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder, a piston bearing a gate having a shaft, one portion of which is hollow and communicates with the cylinder and the atmosphere to form an exhaust-pipe, mechanism for controlling the movementv of the gate, a valve in line with the shaft of the gate, an opening formed in the valve, an opening formed in the wall of the ,cylinder Aeach side of the gate, and mechanism for controlling the movement of the Valve, substantially as described.

lopening in the cylinder eachside of the gate,

a loosely-mounted handle, a projection on the shaft of the valve, resilient connection between the projection and handle, arms fast In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specificationin presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES EpREYNOLDS. WILLIAM E. REYNOLDS.

v Witnesses:

CHARLES A. BARNES, LENA C. ENGEL.

Von the valve-shaft, and a cam actuated by the piston to operate against the arms, substan. vtially as described. 

